Bang & Olufsen Beolab RL6000 (1985)

The Bang & Olufsen Beolab RL6000 came out in 1985. It was part of B&O's premium Beolab series, a line of active loudspeakers with built-in amplification and advanced acoustic tuning. It was one of the most sophisticated speaker systems of its era, and it put the sound in a visually striking enclosure.

Design and Aesthetic Philosophy

The RL6000 is easy to spot. It is a tall, vertical speaker, approximately 110 cm high, with a cylindrical aluminum body in a brushed finish. That is B&O's Scandinavian minimalism. The design was influenced by David Lewis, one of B&O's best-known industrial designers, who was known for clean lines and functional elegance.

The structure is built around a rigid aluminum extrusion, which works as both housing and vibration-damping chassis. This reduces unwanted resonance and gives cleaner sound. The front baffle is minimal and holds only the driver array and a discreet LED indicator. The base is weighted for stability and has integrated cable management, so the speaker sits flush on the floor with no cables in view.

The RL6000 came in silver anodized aluminum. It was designed to blend into modern living spaces as functional art rather than a technical appliance. It has stayed desirable among vintage audio collectors and interior design enthusiasts.

Acoustic Engineering and Driver Configuration

The Beolab RL6000 is a fully active, three-way speaker system. Each driver has its own dedicated amplifier channel and is powered internally. That removes the need for external crossovers and allows precise control over frequency response and phase alignment.

The speaker features three drivers:

• A 25 mm (1 inch) textile dome tweeter for high frequencies (14 kHz and above)
• A 75 mm (3 inch) midrange driver with a paper cone for vocal and instrumental clarity (500 Hz – 14 kHz)
• Two 165 mm (6.5 inch) woofers in a push-pull configuration for bass reproduction (40 Hz – 500 Hz)

The push-pull bass driver arrangement is the notable part. Two identical woofers sit back-to-back and are wired in opposition. Mechanical distortions and cabinet vibrations drop significantly, and the bass is tighter and more accurate with minimal coloration - remarkable for a speaker of its size and era.

Each driver is powered by its own amplifier module:

• 50 watts for the tweeter
• 75 watts for the midrange
• 125 watts for the combined bass drivers

That totals 250 watts RMS per speaker, which gives ample headroom for dynamic passages and large-room playback. The internal amplifiers are based on B&O's proprietary ICEpower-like technology, though they predate the trademarked ICEpower brand. They use efficient Class D or Class TD designs to minimize heat and maximize output.

Crossover and Signal Processing

The RL6000 uses an active crossover network that works at line level, before amplification. This allows steeper filter slopes and more precise driver integration than passive crossovers. The crossover points are 500 Hz (between bass and midrange) and 14 kHz (between midrange and tweeter), optimized for blending the frequency bands.

Equalization is handled by B&O's Automatic Sound Optimization (ASO) system, which includes boundary compensation. The bass response has adjustable settings - Free Space, Half Space, and Quarter Space - so users can tailor low-frequency output to room placement (e.g., in open space, against a wall, or in a corner). This was revolutionary at the time and remains a hallmark of high-end B&O speakers.

Connectivity and Integration

As an active speaker, the RL6000 needs AC power and an audio input. The rear panel has balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, so it works with a wide range of preamplifiers and source components. A master/slave configuration handles stereo pairing. One speaker is the primary, with volume control and input selection, and the other is a slave that receives the signal over a dedicated link cable.

Volume is set with a rotary knob on the top panel or through the BeoRemote system, which allowed centralized control of multiple B&O components - a precursor to modern smart home audio systems. The front LED glows softly to show power status and input activity.

Sound Characteristics

The RL6000 has a balanced, detailed, dynamic sound. The active design keeps distortion low and transient response high, which suits both classical and contemporary music. The midrange is particularly transparent, with vocals rendered with lifelike presence. The tweeter gives smooth, non-fatiguing highs and avoids the harshness sometimes associated with metal domes.

Bass is deep and controlled, reaching down to 40 Hz with authority. The push-pull woofer design minimizes cabinet resonance, so the low end stays clean even at high volumes. It was not intended for home theater use, a concept still in its infancy in 1985. Its clarity and imaging make it ideal for critical two-channel listening.

Legacy and Collectibility

The Beolab RL6000 was discontinued in the early 1990s as B&O shifted toward more compact and modular audio systems. Its reputation has grown over time. Today it is considered a classic of 1980s high-end audio and a collector's item among vintage audio enthusiasts.

Well-maintained units command high prices on the secondhand market, especially those with original finishes and working electronics. The internal amplifiers are complex, so servicing requires specialized knowledge, and original parts are increasingly rare. Dedicated B&O technicians and enthusiast communities still support restoration efforts.

Conclusion

The Bang & Olufsen Beolab RL6000 stands as a testament to the company’s philosophy of “design for life.” It combines cutting-edge audio engineering with timeless visual design, creating a speaker that is as relevant today as it was in 1985. While modern speakers may surpass it in raw specifications, few match its holistic integration of aesthetics, technology, and user experience.

For audiophiles who value both sound and design, the RL6000 remains a benchmark in the world of vintage active speakers. It is not merely a relic of the past but a living example of how high fidelity and high design can coexist in perfect harmony.

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